Description: (Applicant's Description) The overall goal of the Hematopoietic Malignancies Program is to improve the care of patients with hematopoietic cancers through focused research efforts. Two principles guide this multidisciplinary program. The first is that clinical features of leukemia and lymphoma can inform basic research and, conversely, that these laboratory investigations will ultimately lead to improved clinical care. Second, Program members view studies of how normal hematopoietic cells regulate growth, differentiation, and death as integral to understanding how these processes are perturbed in neoplasia. Applying this philosophy to the problem of leukemia and lymphoma has resulted in a program that includes clinical, translational, epidemiologic, and basic investigators who utilize a variety of experimental methods to conduct studies in normal and malignant hematopoietic cells. The program takes advantage of extraordinary institutional strengths in basic sciences, outstanding clinical programs for the care of adults and children with leukemia and lymphoma, and of a tradition of cross-disciplinary collaborations in scientific investigations. Among the major research goals are these: 1) foster scientific collaborations between Program members; 2) promote interactions with other Cancer Center programs and with core facilities; 3)build infrastructure that will facilitate the research activities of Program members; 4) identify extramural funding opportunities and coordinate the development of collaborative proposals; and 5) develop innovative translational research projects in leukemia and lymphoma that draw upon the Program's clinical and basic research strengths. By fostering integrated research efforts in leukemia and lymphoma that are both rigorous and highly collaborative, the Program specifically hopes to support the career development of junior physician-scientists. The Program leadership is well qualified to accomplish these goals. Kevin Shannon, MD, is a physician-scientist who is active in patient care, plays a leading role in a large national cooperative cancer group, and directs a productive research laboratory. Charles Linker, MD, and Katherine Matthay, MD, are leading clinical investigators.